The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has presented the government’s financial strategies aimed at tackling the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria to House of Representatives Committee on Alternate Education.
Mr. Edun was joined by the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who supported the discussion.
The Ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga, stated that the Minister outlined key government initiatives to enhance education access and safety, including the establishment of the Secretariat for Financing Safe Schools in January 2022.
The initiative, which follows a high-level forum in 2021, is part of a national plan to strengthen school security from 2023 to 2026 through community-based efforts.
Additionally, Mr. Edun announced the relaunch of the Home-Grown School Feeding Program, which aims to improve school attendance by providing meals to students.
This program is expected to boost health and well-being, encouraging students to stay in school and thus reducing the number of out-of-school children.
The Minister also highlighted broader economic strategies under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing their positive impact on the national budget and educational programs.
He expressed confidence that these efforts will lead to a significant reduction in the number of out-of-school children and provide improved access to quality education.
